Production of acetylene from petroleum oil



Oct. 18, 1932. we. KIPPER PRODUCTION OF ACETYLENE FROM PETROLEUM OILFiled Sept. 11.- 1930 M a .m j .w W m P B fin M 5., W ,5 5 a 7 I 4 VP JW 6 r O 7' a un, D Hunk 1. Q m 5 2 Fun-nu. a, 3 52 2 E: a we 73 1 2 1 1Z. 9, 1 4 Ill. :1.

Patented Oct. 18, 1932' Umrso stares PATENT? HERMAN B. KIPPER, OF NEWYORK, N. 1%., ASSIGNOR TO B. BAYLOR KNOX, OF BRONXVILLE, NEW YORKPRODUCTION OF ACET'YLENE FROM PETROLEUM OIL Application filed September11, 1930. Serial No. 481,253.

This invention relates to the production of hydrocarbons of theacetylene SGIIGS. from petroleum oil. More specifically, the lnventionrelates to a process of mak ng acetylene from crude petroleum oil byh1gh temperature processing of the latter in the presence of hydrogen.The inventlon further relates to novel apparatus for carrying out theprocess.

l0 1 The object of the inventlon 1s to manufacture acetylene frompetroleum oil and to provide a novel apparatus for such manufacture. Itis known in the art thatqual tatlve evidence has been obtained of theexistence of acetylenes in petroleum products. How ever, the amounts areextremely small, and may be accounted for in all probability by localsuper-heating during distillation.

It has been commonly beheved that, at temperatures above 700 C., oilwould decompose in the presence of hydrogen to form a substantiallyequal amount of saturated and unsaturated hydrocarbons such as methane,ethane, propane, ethylene and propylene; and that a maximum of onlyabout one-half of one percent-of acetylene would be formed. I havediscovered, to the contrary, that at temperatures above 700 0., butpreferably above 1000 C. and upward to the temperature of the electricarc, that decomposition of petroleum oil in the presence of hydrogen andat pressures slightly under atmospherlc proceeds with the formation of alarge amount of acetylene, the etficiency of the process running as highas 90% and usually not less than 80%.

The preferred apparatus for carrying out my process is shown in thedrawing,

Figure 1 showing a view in cross-section,

Figure 2 showing a modification of the rotatable electrode,

Figure 3 showing a section taken along the line 3-3 of Figure2.

Referring to Figure 1, the numeral 1 indicates a cylindrical casingsuitably supported on the base 1' and having flanges 2, having attachedthereto by bolts 3 the end portions 4 and 4' and suitably insulated fromthe flanges 2 by the insulation 5. Within the 50 cylinder 1 andintegrally cast therewith is an electrode 6 having a cross-section inthe form of an open truncated cone, the conical part of which issuitably supported within the cylinder 1 by the members 7 and 8. Uponthe electrode 6 is the helical or spiral thread 9, as shown in Figure 1or the longitudinal bars 10, as shown in Figures 2 and 3. The end member4' has an opening therein thru which a shaft 11 rotates by actuation ofthe pulley 12. A stufling box 13 and gland 14 prevents leakage to orfrom cylinder 1 during operation. Fixed to the one end of the horizontalrotatable shaft 11 is the conical electrode 15 having thereon a spiralthread 16 in alternate spaced relationship to the thread 9 of theelectrode 6. The electrode 15, it will be noted has its outer wallconcentric to or parallel with the outer wall of the electrode 6. Therotatable electrode 15 is horizontally adjustable in relation to theelectrode 6 by reason of the sleeve 17 actuable by the lever 18 pivotedat 19 and fixable in various positions on account of the element 20engageable in the stops 21. The electrode 15 may be made horizontallyadjustable by other means known to those skilled in the art, it sodesired. The end portion 4 has an opening thru which the tube 22 passes,leakage being prevented by the stuffing box 23' and gland 24. Tube 22converges at its inner end 23 and has a flanged portion 24 at its outerend. Associated with the flange 24 is the stufling box 25 thru whlchpasses on internal tube 26 corresponding to the tube 22 and spacedtherefrom interiorally of the same.

Tube 26 is flanged at 27 with which a stufling box 28 is associated andthru which the cleaning rod 29 passes. The tube 26 also has a conduit 30entering thereto, while the tube 22 has a conduit 31 entering thereto.The end member 4 has a conduit 32 entering therein and communicatingwith the chamber 33 of the cylinder 1, and with the chamber 34 of thesafety vessel 35 which is in com- 5 munication with the vessel 36containing ammoniacal cuprous solution '37 by virtue of conduit 38. Thevessel 36 is connected toa vacuum pump- (not shown) with which isassociated the mercury gauge 39.

The operation of the device is as follows:

The whole system is first evacuated and then filled with hydrogen gasentering thru the conduit 30. A slight flow of hydrogen is thenmaintained by suitable regulating valves (not shown). A suitable currentis impressed upon the electrodes 6 and 15 thru the lead wires 40 and 41,thus forming a high temperture electric arc. Oil is now fed thru theconduit 31 and is injected by the hydrogen gas flowing to and thru tube26 so that the oil hydrogen mixture impinges at the conical ends of theelectrodes 6 and 15, and therefore into the arc. The electrode 15 may berotated, if desired and the arc may be made larger or smaller bysuitably adjusting said electrode in a horizontal direction. Thereaction prod ucts are withdrawn from the chamber 33 and a may bepurified to remove the acetylene therefrom by some counter currentpurifying op eration with acetone, or the acetylene formed may be useddirectly for formaldehyde formation. If purification is made withacetone, the hydrogen may be separated therefrom and reutilized in theprocess. In the accompanying drawing, I have shown the reaction productspassed thru the safety bottle 35 and the solution 37 where the acetyleneis precipitated as copper acetylide.

It is to be understood. however, that in commercial operation of theprocess, instead of passing the reaction products through the ammoniacalcopper solution, the acetylene produced may be absorbed in acetone orother suitable solvent, the solution thereby formed withdrawn from theabsorption vessel or vessels, and that the acetylene, after removal fromsuch solution, may be utilized at superatmospheric or other pressure asdesired.

As will be understood by those skilled in the art, various modificationsmay be made in the process and in my apparatus without departing from myinvention, such as, for example, preheating the oil before spraying thesame in the reaction chamber, providing the electrode 15 withlongitudinal ribs 42 such as are shown in Figure 3, and utilizingvarious hydrogen containing gases other than pure hydrogen which I havedisclosed.

While my apparatus and process are preferably to be used with crudepetroleum oils containing mostly straight chain hydrocarbons, such usedoes not preclude the use of crude petroleums which contain some cyclichydrocarbons.

While I have operated at both reduced and at superatmospheric pressures,a pressure slightly below atmospheric is the most practical, whileatmospheric pressure represents the optimum condition for most etficientprocess- What I claim is: 1. An apparatus for destruction of petroleumat a high temperature in a hydrogen atmosphere which comprises a casingdefinproducts.

ing a chamber, electrodes concentrically disposed in said chamber, afeeding tube horizontally disposed at one endof the chamber and adaptedto direct a spray of oil and gas between said electrodes, means forrotating one of the electrodes With respect to the other and means formoving one of the electrodes longitudinally with respect to the otherfor varying the distancebetween the electrodes.

2. An apparatus for converting petroleum oil into acetylene whichcomprises a casing member, a stationary electrode having thecross-section of an open truncated cone secured internally of the casingand defining two chambers in the casing connected by a conicalpassageway, a rotatable conical electrode in said passageway and spacedfrom said stationary electrode, means on the electrodes to provide anobstruction to passage of solid matter between the electrodes from onechamber to the other chamber, tubular means in one chamber for injectingoil and gas into the passageway, and means in the other chamber forwithdrawing reaction 3. In a conversion apparatus of the classdescribed, the combination of a cylindrical casing, a stationaryelectrode supported therein and defining two chambers in the casingconnected by a converging passageway from the front chamber to the rearchamber, end walls insulated from the cylindrical casing and definingrespective boundaries for said chambers, a tubular member disposed inthe front chamber and extending thru one end wall, said tubular memberhaving an end portion converging toward the smaller opening of thepassageway, a second tubular member supported in said first tubularmember and extending therethru, conduit means entering the first tubularmember for supplying oil thereto, conduit means entering the secondtubular member for supplying gas thereto, a rotatable shaft entering theother end wall and disposed in the rear chamber and having a conicalelectrode secured thereto adapted to enter said converging passageway.means for actuating said shaft and electrode and means for horizontallyadiusting same with respect to the stationary electrode. 1

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand. I HERMAN B. KIPPER.

